Heater strips for heat tracing pipe, tanks, and other objects are well-known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,716 describes a heater strip comprising two conductive wires embedded in a positive temperature coefficient polymeric material. The heater strip can also include a grounding element. In use, these heater strips are mounted on a support surface such as the exterior of pipe, covered with insulation, connected to a power source, and used to protect the contents of the pipe from freezing or to maintain the contents of the pipe at a desired temperature.
Three types of electrical connections are used with heater strips: the heater strips are connected to a power source, they are terminated at one end away from the power source, and two or more strips are spliced together.
A variety of connecting devices have been developed for effecting these types of connections. A whole host of products has made its way to the market, the products being different for the different types of heater strips available and the different sizes of heater strips available.
This lack of standardization of connection devices has caused great difficulty in the installation of heater strips. This is because many of the devices used are cumbersome and large because it is desirable that the electrical connections be both water-proof and resistant to attack by the chemicals and solvents carried in the pipes being heated. With many available devices, it is difficult to make the connection because it is necessary that the wires be buried deep in the device. Furthermore, due to the lack of standardization of connecting devices, the devices tend to be expensive and require a relatively high degree of skill in assembly and attachment.
Commercially available housings are generally inadequately secured to the pipe. Thus, when the housing is accidentally tripped over or otherwise struck, it shifts position on the pipe which can result in a broken connection.
Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus and method for electrically connecting heater strips which are applicable for a large variety of types and sizes of heater strips, which are easy to use, which provide a secure, and water-proof connection, and which protect the connected heater strip against solvents and other chemicals carried in the pipe in case of rupture or spill.